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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Laura Kaye's Hard As You Can Blog Day Blitz (+Giveaway)

Today I'm happy to be a part of Laura Kaye's celebration for her second release in the Hard Ink Series. We'll start off with a few questions she's been asked about the series.

HARD AS YOU CAN is your second book in the
“Hard Ink” series (after USA Today bestseller, HARD AS IT GETS). What can
readers look forward to?

Readers can look forward to tons of sexy alpha male
goodness, awesome bromance between the Hard Ink men, more antics from the Hard
Ink puppy, and another great love story between Shane and Crystal. But readers
should also be ready for a book that is darker, more intense, and more
emotional. This book pushed me to emotional places that were tough as a writer,
and might be tough for readers, too. But I think that just makes the payoff at
the end so much sweeter.

Describe Shane and Crystal. What are their
best traits? What are their weaknesses?

Shane and Crystal are such an amazing couple to me.
They’re each exactly what the other
needs. Shane’s best traits are his protectiveness, his fundamental kindness,
and his soul-deep loyalty (his southern accent and humor are also right up
there!). His biggest weakness for sure is a tragedy from the past for which he
blames himself—and it’s something that continues to motivate him in Hard As You Can. Crystal’s best traits
are her courage, protectiveness, and selflessness—she’s willing to do anything
to keep her younger sister safe. Her biggest weakness is also that
selflessness, because the sacrifices she’s required to make are getting bigger
and bigger and bigger.

If you could describe your book in a 140
character tweet, what would it be?

When a woman in trouble assists an ex-soldier's covert mission
to regain his team's stolen honor, he finds a new mission to save her, too

What are you most excited about with this
second book release?

I’m really excited to take readers deeper into these
awesome characters and into the mystery behind the Hard Ink team’s ambush and
discharge!

What books are you reading right now?

I’m almost done with Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander (yes, I’m very late to the
party but OMG JAMIE FRASER!!!). And I’ve recently devoured and loved Juliana
Stone’s Offsides and Shelly Thacker’s
time-travel historical romance, Forever
His.

What can fans of your “Hard Ink” series look
forward to next?

There will be two more Hard Ink books in 2014!

Hard to Hold on To
– August 2014

Hard to Come By
– November 2014

Blurb: Ever since hard-bodied, drop-dead-charming Shane McCallan
strolled into the dance club where Crystal Dean works, he's shown a knack for
getting beneath her defenses. For her little sister's sake, Crystal can't get
too close. Until her job and Shane's mission intersect, and he reveals talents
that go deeper than she could have guessed.

Shane would never turn his back on a friend in
need, especially a former Special Forces teammate running a dangerous,
off-the-books operation. Nor can he walk away from Crystal. The gorgeous
waitress is hiding secrets she doesn't want him to uncover. Too bad. He's
exactly the man she needs to protect her sister, her life, and her heart. All
he has to do is convince her that when something feels this good, you hold on
as hard as you can--and never let go.

Laura is also sharing a great excerpt with us!

Release
day is finally here! And I’m thrilled to share Hard As You Can, the second book in my Hard Ink series, with all of
you here today! Hard As You Canfollows the surviving members of a disgraced Army Special Forces team as they
fight to regain their stolen honor, and finds their investigation crossing
paths with a waitress willing to do whatever it takes to stay alive and protect
her younger sister. For Shane McCallan, saving Crystal Dean is a mission he
refuses to turn down.

Today,
I’m super excited to share a sexy and emotional excerpt with you guys! Here we
go:

“Don’t
look at me like that, Crystal,” Shane said, his voice a raw scrape. It wasn’t a
demand or a threat. It was a plea. And the thought that this big, strong,
powerful man was begging her for anything was thrilling.

“Like
what?” she asked, dragging her gaze up to his. In the diffuse light of the streetlamp,
she could tell his eyes were absolutely blazing, and it only fueled the arousal
rising up inside her.

“Like
maybe you want me the way I want you.” Tilting his head, he nuzzled his face
against hers, the tip of his nose trailing over her cheek, his breath ghosting
over her lips. “Like maybe you’d let me kiss you and touch you.” A quick brush
of his lips against her temple and ear. “Like maybe you’d let me in.”

Crystal
could barely breathe for the way her heart was pounding and her pulse was
racing. She slid a hand up his chest to his neck, wanting, needing, just
absolutely yearning to have this. Just this once.

Leaning
into him, Crystal held his gaze and adored the way his expression filled with
such expectant satisfaction, like she’d surprised him. Pleased him. She pressed
her lips to his.

The
groan he unleashed was needful, almost triumphant. His arms came around her
gently and pulled her in. And it wasn’t enough. She needed to be closer.
Deeper.

She
needed more of Shane McCallan.

She
might never get another chance.

A
flicker of unbidden panic whipped through her body. Bruno had been her only
lover for the past four years, and she’d only been able to take him inside her
after months’ buildup of trust and familiarity of touch. That was back before
he’d shown his true colors. Or before she’d shed her naïveté. Maybe they were
the same thing. Who knew? Stop thinking about Bruno and get out of your
head.Just feel. You deserve this. You need this. Besides, cartbefore horse, much?

“I’m
glad you came,” she said, combing her fingers through the sides of his hair,
then holding his face in her hands.

“What
do you want, sweetness? I’d give you anything.” Over her hoodie, his hands
rubbed up and down her back, hip to shoulder, hip to shoulder.

Crystal
couldn’t find the words, so she tilted her face and claimed his lips, and this
time the kiss unleashed a fire that seemed to flash through both of them. She
shifted into a kneeling position between his thighs, and he hauled her into his
lap so that she straddled him. The position brought the hard length of his cock
between her legs and she gasped and moaned at the feel of him so close to where
she was wet and wanting.

They
pressed closer, held tighter, kissed more deeply until all Crystal knew, all
that existed in the world, was this moment, this place, this man.

Shane’s
hands moved over her body. Fisting in the long lengths of her hair. Gently
cupping and massaging her breasts. Stroking her bare thighs. Crystal adored the
way he seemed to need to touch her. How powerful and necessary human
touch was. How life-giving and affirming. And how simply mind-blowing was it to
discover that touch could be a giving thing, not just about taking, that touch
could be healing, and not just about hurting, that touch could comfort, and not
just exert control. Even when things had been better with Bruno, they’d never
been like this.

And
to think she’d found someone who could teach her something so fundamental that
she’d never known before. Or, maybe, she’d known but hadn’t believed. Now she
did. Because of Shane. No matter how little time she got to have him in her
life, she would always be grateful that he’d shown her what it could be
like. With the right person.

Gripping
her hair in his fist, Shane reclined her head, opening the line of her throat
to his worshipful lips and tongue. He trailed a path of liquid fire over her
flesh that left her dizzy, totally awash in sensation. He tugged her hips in
tighter, and Crystal moaned at the friction the movement created. He was deliciously
hard and thick between her legs. Unable to resist, she rocked herself against him
as he laid her back farther so he could kiss her the small part of her chest
the V-neck of the hoodie revealed.

Slowly,
he drew down the zipper, trailing kisses lower and lower until the heat of his
breath fanned over her nipple through the thin fabric of her uniform. Just as
slow, Shane raised her back up, bringing their bodies together again. Crystal
ran her hands over his chest and stomach, but what she most needed was to feel
him, skin on skin. Pulling back from their kiss, she tugged at the hem of his
shirt, silently asking for permission.

“Anything
you want,” he whispered, taking her belly and her heart on a loop-the-loop.

Man, I just
loved writing these two! *grins* Did you have a favorite line? Thanks for
reading!

Author Bio:Laura
is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen books in
contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family
believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye
curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all
things paranormal. She lives in
Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates
her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.